Becoming Black Fang
by The-edge-of-reason
Summary: Hyuga Hinata: Weak, stuttering, nobody. Pathetic heir to the Hyuga clan. Tenten: Plain, average, tomboy. Weakest member of team Gai. They're nothing, weak shinobi too pathetic for their kunoichi name, right? Watch as they prove just how average they are.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first story, I know you probably don't think of that as excuse but I humbly submit that you think on that before sending me hate mail. I'm open to any suggestions, or even just "I liked it" if anybody reads this. Um... Enjoy?

Edit: I have decided to go over this, I just think that the gap between the writing of the chapters has made it choppy, hopefully this flows better?

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><p>Becoming Black Fang<p>

Saturday 5:45 am

Hinata POV

I'm neurotic at best; at worst I'm on the floor in hysterics. I'm sure all teenage girls have their little worries but in this school if someone says you should sleep with one eye open you'd best believe their being serious.

With that in mind you can forgive me for the way I reacted that Friday night, I'm not everyone's favorite person, in fact that very same day I accidentally ran into (and spilt my lunch on) the most popular girl in our year; Sakura Haruno. Needless to say she was not happy, so the obvious conclusion when I felt a fast moving chakra signature advancing towards me; I was under attack.

How was I supposed to know I'd left my backpack in class? It also must be said that Naruto's vast underestimation of my abilities didn't help either. Regardless of the cause, since this happened in full view of the Hokage's office, I currently face one of two options. Either I stay in leaf and face the humiliation of explaining to the entire clan and Konoha why the weakest kunoichi in all of shinobi history is actually packing major fire power and has been hiding it, or, I agree to leave with Kurenai sensei and hone my skills, provided I send back annual reports (with the first explaining my sudden power and abilities).

Needless to say, I must have had a pretty good reason to keep such a big secret. I know they would've found out eventually but if they knew now all those years of torment and hate would be for nothing. On the other hand, I would be depriving my team of their mentor and, worst of all, abandoning my best friend Tenten (the only person who cared enough to see through my facade and consequently the only person, up to now, to know of my abilities). In the span of my meager 13 years I had never faced such I dilemma.

In hindsight all my stress was for nothing, my mind was made up the moment I reached the training grounds

...

Saturday 6:00 am

Tenten POV

It wasn't an on-the-spot thing, I didn't just wake up one morning and decide to be average; I'd been doing it since I could remember.

No one suspects anything because I've been this way since they'd first met me, to them I've always been just ok, no one's ever really dared to see if there was something more. I can imagine it would come as a surprise then, if good 'ole average me suddenly turned round and decided to be not so average. It wasn't entirely my fault, Naruto was just aimlessly standing there, it was my duty as a shinobi and I guess, as a friend, to see if everything was alright.

To be honest I should have, perhaps, been more careful; just because we are young shinobi doesn't mean we aren't shinobi. Then again I wasn't expecting him to try and flip me either, though I probably should have been. In the end though, it really doesn't matter. For the first time in a long time someone caught me off guard, truly off guard, and before I could catch myself, my instincts had already kicked in; I was now faced with one knocked out ninja and a very pissed off Hokage.

After a few hushed words from Tsunade, Naruto was sent to the infirmary and I was given two, equally un- appealing options. Either I agree to leave with Kurenai sensei in order to hone my skills (provided, of course, I send back annual reports and explain my seemingly sudden gain of power) or I stay in leaf and face the humiliation of explaining to my team and comrades why the average weapons girl, the weakest member of team Gai, is actually pretty much a hyuuga or uchiha level prodigy and has been hiding it.

Obviously, I must have had one hell of a good reason to keep such a big secret from everyone, I knew of course that they would find out eventually but what would be the point of having to bear all those "beatings" from Hyuga Neji? On the other hand, I would be depriving team 8 of their teacher and abandoning my best friend Hinata (who was also the only person to know of my power before now). I was in deep sh… trouble.

Looking back, I really shouldn't have worried so much, my mind was made up as soon as I got to the training grounds.


	2. Chapter 2

Well I know A/N's are annoying but I really wanted to thank _911negotiation_ and _avontree_ for the supportive feedback, as well as clearing up a few things:

1. I was asked about the whole "school" thing; It's not really very important for the rest of the story but I've sort of made it so that they're still taking lessons at the academy (whilst of course still being on teams)

2. I am gonna make the chapters longer/with-more-of-a-story but the first few I have planned out as a sort of backstory

Also it might be a good idea to mention that this is pretty AU, I don't intend to really follow every element of the storyline.

Yeah... enjoy chapter 2?

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><p>Saturday 6:05 am<p>

Hinata POV

I slowed as I reached the field, it seemed as if my team was already there, as well as team 10 (well ino), team Gai (ok it was just neji) and team kakashi (minus Naruto). It was an odd collection of people, surely if they were to join us for group training everyone would be here? It was more than just a little odd actually, they seemed to simply be talking. As I came into hearing distance I could begin to decipher their topic of conversation, they seemed to be discussing... Me? And Tenten? I reached out for her chakra signature; she was still, on the other side of the grounds, obviously listening. As I drew nearer my first thought was, that this was a very odd place to hold a discussion, In the middle of a regularly used field, for all the world to hear. It didn't seem too bright for supposedly one of the most talented shinobi groups to pass through the academy, but as I listened more my brain began to recognize this for what it really was; an _intervention_.

...

Tenten POV

I could practically feel the blood pulsing through my veins, I was passed being angry; I was Furious. Those scheming, sneaky, stuck up jerks! I couldn't believe it. They were just sitting there, in the middle of the damn field, discussing and dissecting me and Hinata because, obviously, we are such bad shinobi that they could sense us a mile away! It's like," I'm just gonna sit here, on my high horse, and list all the reasons Tenten and Hinata aren't worthy of my presence". When Neji told me that we were meeting at a different ground I thought it was a bit strange, now I know why; they wanna stage one of those intersection thingys. Who do they think they are! They never asked about my history or my last name, yet they have the nerve to suggest I choose to be secretive because of some sort of dark past! And "suggest" I quit because of it! I'm 14, how much of a checkered background can I have? I can feel Hinata beginning to get edgy, in all honesty I am too, so I'm gonna just take the plunge. Stuff them, bitch about Me or Hinata and you'd best believe; There. Will. Be. Consequences.

...

Hinata POV

I'll admit, I was in shock. However, soon, shock grew to anger. How very dare they! Every ninja, under an intervillage law, has the right to train in a team unless deemed unfit for the shinobi lifestyle. What gives them the right, to suggest to anybody that, due to completely fabricated circumstances, they ought to prematurely retire? The fact that this is Tenten and Me that they're planning to oust, only underlines how wrong this entire situation is. They may hold the illusion that I'm fragile and Tenten is mysteriously sketchy in regards to her past, but this isn't about protecting me from myself or the village from Tenten. This is about how Sakura feels threatened by Tenten's skill, Ino is jealous of my clan status and generally everyone is out of people to bully.

As if sensing my agitation, I can feel Tenten preparing to reveal herself. She won't have to stand alone, I've had just about enough of hearing about my thousand-and-one faults and bitching about my best friend isn't helping things either.

...

Genral POV

All time seemed to freeze as Tenten and Hinata simultaneously stepped into the clearing. There was a pause of a few seconds as the assembled shinobi struggled to process that the topics of their "discussion" were standing about five metres from them, looking extremely pissed and much less hopeless as they had earlier convinced themselves they were. As the seconds ticked by, neither party seemed inclined to speak; the first still recovering from shock (which was slowly turning into a mixture of horror and embarrassment) whilst the second simply felt it unnecessary (also Hinata and Tenten were secretly enjoying watching the others fumble for an explanation). Eventually though, one of the previously stunned shinobi managed to choke out a coherent sentence (though when it came Hinata and Tenten had to take a moment to catch their breath, the proclamation was so absurd and cliche) "It's not what you think"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 for those who can actually be bothered fighting the horrible writing style to find the story underneath.

hugs for people just bothering to read, though reviews make me smile :D

Speaking of Reviews thanks to _in your dreams as well_ for the feedback- longer chapters are coming soon ;D

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><p>Tenten POV<p>

_"What is it then genius?"_

As I had predicted no answer came, but I wasn't just gonna let this die

_"I'm glad it's not what it looks like 'cause from where I'm standing it looks a whole lot like you were talking about us"_

I let them digest that for a bit before adding _"which is rather rude you know"_

Ino, who never likes to be told anything, was the first to retort

_"But to know that Tenten, you would have to be eavesdropping"_

Then, in a poor imitation of my earlier tone _"which is rather rude you know"_

_..._

Hinata POV

_"But to know that Tenten, you would have to be eavesdropping; which is rather rude you know"_

Not that I am ever forgotten with Tenten around, I still felt I ought to remind them of my presence. Deciding to further shock them, I lost the stutter

_"It was previously ordained that team 8, and seemingly team Gai, were to meet here for some training"_

Deciding to enhance the effect I smiled sweetly before adding _"Tenten and I were simply on our way over when we thought we heard you talking about us"._

Tenten, always quick to catch on, also beamed before stating simply_ "Which you obviously weren't because that would be completely out of character for all of you"_

The sarcasm was thick in the air and hung around in the silence that resigned afterwards. Finally it was broken by five voices at once, which I decided to ignore in favor of ending the conversation (their backpedaling was painful). Without preamble I stated simply _"I'm quitting"_

_..._

Tenten POV

"How are you not..." "I didn't..." "...and of course we thought..." "...reasonable..." with all five voices speaking at once it was impossible to figure out what was being said or even by who. I decided to just shut them up and get it over with, I had made up my mind _"I'm quitting"_

_..._

General POV

Throughout the entire conversation (if you can even call it that) sentences were punctuated by silences. The shinobi were discovering very quickly that their assumptions of their "weak classmates" were the furthest from right and that information needed time to process, but the silence in the wake of those last declarations, made so carelessly, was deafening. All shinobi gathered were intending to bully the girls into quitting but that they had decided of their own accord was somewhat disconcerting.

...

Shino POV

The fact that their resignation was stated with such indifference made us all pause, I was slowly realizing the absurdity of our previous intentions, what actual cause had they given to warrant the treatment we were intending to give? Tenten and Hinata were both performing to standard and even went out of their way to do nice things for everyone, were we really about to bully our team mates out of sheer boredom?

...

General POV

Sadly idle hands and idle minds seem to produce crazy plots and ideas, the damage was done, the stage was set and Hinata and Tenten had just sealed the deal. Both were, of course, shocked at the others statement but quickly the faces of both girls broke into broad grins. They would leave together; there was nothing to keep them any longer. They would train for a few years then come back and show them all. How they would regret the day they decided to try and play with their emotions, they would come to pay dearly for their stupidity. With a flash and a puff of smoke the ground was left bare where the two girls had stood but a few moments ago, the stunned group still in the clearing with no idea of the things to come.


	4. Chapter 4

Yeah, this a pitiful excuse for a chapter but I'm kind of stuck. If it helps I have the scene from when they come back (started) but I'm not sure how to continue. What do you guys think? Should I do some training chapters (in other words do you want to see them develop)? or would you rather I skip to 3 years later (and have intermittent flashbacks)? personally I like the first option but I'm leaving it up to you so... comment?

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><p>Saturday 11:05pm<p>

General POV

It was dark, the sun had long since set over the horizon, it was time to go.

It was a mark of how deep their classmates words had scarred them, for once Hinata wasn't over analysing every detail and Tenten wasn't planning escape routes. Granted, it wasn't the smartest move as shinobi entering the wider world but as two girls leaving their hometown it gave them focus.

Even though the village had been dark for some time now, they were way ahead of time. They were not expected at the rendezvous point until midnight but the cold and silent corridors of the Hyuuga compound had become too much for Hinata and likewise Tenten had found her empty apartment all to much to bear.

Thus bringing us to our current scene; eleven o'clock on a Saturday two girls are mere hours from stepping out of the gates of the hidden leaf village for three years of intense training.

...

As the time grows nearer to their departure Tenten breaks the heavy silence

"_This is the last time you realize"_

Eyes to the sky, Hinata's look is almost mournful

"_Yes, but for tonight…"_

Neither can tell whether the sigh heard next is one of resignation or sadness, neither can tell, even, who it came from

"_Hinata, I understand, after tonight however I refuse to feel any emotion towards our "comrades" apart from indifference"_

There is no room for discussion; her face holds single-minded conviction

"_I know you're right, its just so sad that its come to this"_

A pause

"_I think I've known for a while that it would"_

"_Me too, I'd just hoped…"_

This sigh was definitely one of sadness

"_I know but fate has dealt the cards and now we must simply play the hand"_

A small smile causes Tenten to pause

"_You sound like a mixture of Neji, Hokage-sama and yoda"_

This earns a laugh from the bun-haired girl and a true smile from the Heiress

"_Just imagine; Neji in a dress and heels with blonde hair and long pointy ears"_

"_I don't know, my mind might not recover from that kind of mental scarring"_

_..._

When Kurenei reached the gates she found her two charges on the floor in absolute hysterics. Upon hearing the cause for their laughter, she decided, right then and there, they would pull through; such _creative_ minds would be wicked on the battlefield. Well, that or they'd wind up in a long term wing of the hospital for "head trauma" but Kurenei liked to think on the positive.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yes, I know, the dreaded author's note. If you're just reading this story for the first time feel free to skip ahead an jump right in, however, if you are one of the lovely people who are still reading this story (even though I did publish it a while ago) I owe you a bit of an explanation.

You see I was stuck for awhile on this chapter, I know where this story is headed but first I have to deal with getting there. I had a few things floating around but my brain was screaming that it was too fast and time skips are a kinda lazy thing to do at the beginning of a story. Eventually I ended up with this chapter, not too much is happening yet but I think its what is needed at this point in time. In my defence this is the longest chapter I have written for this story!Hopefully it's worth the wait?

Feel free to flame *hides under table* but encouraging reviews are nice too.

...Enjoy?

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><p>The first night... Was hell.<p>

No if's and/or buts, no silver lining, nothing. It was hell, full stop.

Firstly it rained, not, like the heavens were weeping, rather as if the skies had broken in half and through the crack water was coming down to drown the earth. There was no shelter in sight, they were set to stop over in suna before beginning their training in unfamiliar territory and as such were stuck in the middle of the desert when the storm broke out. It wasn't even supposed to rain in the desert! The icing on the cake however, was most definitely the out-of-the-blue attack by a group of random rogue nin. Granted, it accounted for the rain but that didn't mean it was nice to have a flurry of ice shards thrown in your direction when you're freezing cold and very much resembling a drowned rat.

Needless to say, the three extremely ticked shinobi wasted no time in showing the unfortunate shinobi exactly what they could do when "caught off guard" ("mwahaha" etc.). However, if the giant crater was any indication, they just might have gone slightly overboard in this. The two young genin, though in possession of huge reserves of power, had zero training of how to regulate it and thus promptly collapsed.

The older jounin reluctantly sent up a flare and waited for the suna boarder guard to come rescue them, though it was certainly an interesting way to begin their journey the first lesson her charges would learn upon the commencement of their training_ would_ be chakra regulation.

...

Monday 2:20pm

Hinata POV

_"Hey, she's waking up"_

_"Do you think the blood loss has affected her?"_

Purple. When I open my eyes it's the first thing I see. I'm lying on my back so it must be that there's a purple ceiling above me. That's odd, ceilings are usually white or cream or sometimes black for emo's. I did see a green ceiling once, it was an ugly ceiling. Hey, do ceilings normally move? You'd think if a ceiling moved you'd see the sky right? But the sky's not white, the sky's pink. I think the sky's pink, maybe it's green, no wait, grass is green, the sky is definitely pink. Or maybe...

_"The sky is blue and we're indoors, you must've lost more blood than we thought, can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"_

Oh blue! That's right! But what's that about blood? And where's that voice coming from?

_"Try sitting up"_

Oh! So the purple sky wasn't sky after all, it was a purple blob! A talking purple blob, wait why does the talking purple blob have fingers?

_"Ok well that answers that question, Yuuhei san?"_

_"You have my permission"_

Hey why is the blob getting bigger? What's that silver... Ow! Now the blobs going black, why is tha...

...

_Tenten POV_

_"...Ow! Now the blobs going black, why is tha..."_

Thud

My head is pounding like I've finished 20 laps of konoha and 100 'youthful' pushups, what the hell happened? I just remember a storm and then we were attacked.

Oh. right. We were attacked.

I must've passed out. Hina must have too, however, I think she took the bigger hit if her schpeil about blobs is any indication.

On the other hand I could always be the one with the concussion if I'm imagining Hinata talking about... blobs. There's only one way to find out really.

_"Hey Kurenai-sensei, was I imagining it or was Hina talking about a blob just now"_

Clatter, crash, thud

I fight to push myself into a sitting position and have just enough time to catch a glimpse of a mussed Kurenai-sensei entangled with a chair before I'm being pushed down again

_"no, that wasn't your imagination, your friend lost quite a lot of blood"_

Kitty ears, kabuki paint, black onesie, we're in suna then. Their hospital I suppose

_"That is both comforting and worrying Kankuro San. How long have I been out?"_

As my vision sharpens I am just in time to catch a brief look of shock from the puppet user before his careful carefree mask falls back into place.

_"Not to worry Tenten San, Hinata San's wounds just bled more, all the damage has been healed; she just needs to rest. You've both only been out for about a day"_

I'm just about to smile and thank him before something hits me, hard. For one of the famed sand sibs to be here, in the hospital room of three, relatively unknown, shinobi they must be concerned for, or, at the very least, know about our condition. So either they heard about it from the boarder guard or, more likely (and more embarrassingly), they were the boarder guard that saved our asses.

Ah shit. I can practically feel my face burning.

I don't know if it would be more embarrassing to ask or let him bring it up. If memory serves the three sand sibs never did seem the most subtle people in the world, maybe it would be better for my pride if I broached the subject? Well, nothing ventured...

_"Thanks Kankuro San. Say, I don't suppose you just happened to simply hear of our visit to the hospital..."_

Sabuku no kankuro always struck me as the collected type, I'd always imagined behind the carefree facade there was a composure similar to that of hyuuga neji. Therefore, it's understandable that the sincerity behind the smile that followed my last statement rather shocked me.

_"'fraid not, don't worry though, we follow the vein of 'impressed' about the impact you made on our landscape rather that anything else."_

My face is now definitely in possession of a roaring blush. Not only because I had been unconscious (and undoubtedly weak) when 'rescued' but also because it was kind of him not to mention the epic fail that was our fainting from chakra exhaustion. If there's one thing I'm not used to it's kindness.

Kindness aside, I wonder what he could mean about the landscape. Did we kick up some sand or something?

_"Maybe you're more exhausted than we thought, you are aware you said that out loud?"_

Out loud! What? The bit about the sand?

_"Uh huh, that last bit too. You do realize you tunneled through the sand and left a giant crater behind in the earth below? It fell in as we were leaving but that area will be permanently dipped in the middle."_

Oh.

_"Oh is right, that's some punch you got there, have you been taking lessons from Haruno or something?"_

At the mention of the bubblegum should-be-blonde haired kunoichi (for want of a better word) the fuzziness that had begun to creep into my vision instantly dispersed. I could practically feel the chakra burning through my system as my temper flared. As great as it was for healing my body, straining an already burnt out chakra network was not so good with the whole not-lapsing-into-a-coma thing. I took two deep calming breaths. In. Out. In. Out.

_"To teach me haruno would actually have to know what she's doing, which she doesn't, and I would have to actually be able to stand her, which I can't."_

The puppet-wielding boy slightly grimaced at my words, whether due to the ice like tone or the realization that he really placed his foot in his mouth, I couldn't tell.

_"Oh right, forgot about the brief for a sec there, sorry."_

So they had been briefed on our arrival? I wasn't really surprised, what did surprise me was the openness with which the suna boy spoke to me, weren't suna shinobi supposed to be hardened? Guarded? I had now witnessed two seemingly sincere emotions from the male shinobi, it was time for me to sleep for fear of _fainting_ and making an even bigger fool of myself. The fact that I cared at all was enough to convince me of my exhaustion.

_"That's ok, hey you got anymore of the stuff that knocked Hina out? I'm gonna need to sleep without burning out my chakra network"_

_"Sure"_

The last thing I saw was his smile before the world went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Tuesday 6:00 am

Four chakra signatures, one in rest. Two windows on the right and the door on the...left wall? No restraints seem to be in place. All in all a pretty good position to be in, except that my chakra is stable at half and I have no idea where I am. There is that.

I figure that if the figures were hostile entities I'd be tied up. In a hostage situation I'd probably be in a windowless room (less escape routes) and I wouldn't be lying on a bed. Comfy furniture tends to be a bit of a giveaway in terms of whether or not one has been taken hostage.

So the question remains, where am I? Why am I here? What happened? Ok, so it's more than one question but still... I don't remember and there are a lot of things that just don't add up.

_"Hinata san how long do you intend to pretend to be asleep? Because, although your body gave nothing away the heart monitor attached to your person changed pace when you awoke"_

Oh so not a hostage situation, a hospital situation. I can work with this. Giving up my obviously flawed attempts at faux sleep I opened my eyes and sat up.

Well, I would of sat up but my head began to spin so I gave up on the attempt.

Trying to keep very still (I was still painfully aware of the earths rotary status around the sun) I gave my reply from a safe, grounded horizontal position.

_"I don't seem to remember what happened, fill me in?"_

The voice in response was not the one that spoke initially. This voice I knew, not just knew even, this voice was familiar as my own.

_"We were ambushed Hina, we sorta freaked and sent our chakra to pretty much zero. The sand sibs found us and brought us back to suna. You took a pretty big hit so you lost some blood."_

Oh.

Oooooooooooh.

I remember that!

_"Hehe so you remember hin?"_

Wait, how did she...

_"I gained mind reading abilities didn't you hear?"_

Tenten gained...

_"What!"_

A chuckle followed my last statement. A chuckle!

_"Relax, I was only joking, the heart monitor remember?"_

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><p>Tenten POV<p>

The look on Hinata's face was priceless. I should probably feel bad about teasing my formerly injured, currently recovered best friend but so far I felt ok. Hina is always so composed, it would be good to have something on her for once, well two things but I doubt she'd remember the first.

By the time everyone was up to speed, in their right mind and able to stand upright without falling over Hinata, Kurenai and I were the only one's still present. When it had become apparent that Hina wouldn't instantly be up and running around we all came to the agreement that we'd get checked out and meet at Kazakage tower to receive info on our lodgings and posting out here. Basically up to speed included informing us that we'd be helping the suna force so the Kazakage would need to explain the details obviously.

I was kinda excited but mad at the same time, sure we'd get unique training with a different set of shinobi with different skills and thus be at a huge advantage in terms of experience in different forms of combat, but being newly arrived from a different village meant that they'd probably trust us with little more than boarder patrol.

Ugh! There are few things I truely hate, Sakura Haruno being one, circus clowns another, boarder patrol came a close third.

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><p>Kurenai POV<p>

So, whilst Hinata was getting a final check up and Tenten was off finding clothes that weren't a white, standard-issue hospital two piece, I went to see about signing some release forms. The suna hospital, though not as big as konoha's, does have an alarming number of similar looking hallways. The problem wasn't finding reception (there were enough signposts for that) so much as finding my way back to the room afterwards.

For the better part of twenty minutes I wandered senselessly through the halls without seemingly making any progress what so ever. In short: I was lost. It was with no short amount of reluctance I finally gave up and went to seek out someone to tell me where the hell I was, to begin with, then how the hell to get to the girls room.

* * *

><p>Tenten POV<p>

For the better part of 40 minutes Hinata and I sat waiting for our sensei. The blank walls stared down at us as the seconds slowly ticked by. The black wrap top and standard issue shinobi pants were a surprisingly familiar comfort in this foreign environment but even dressed now in more common garb I was painfully aware that I was sitting in a hospital, waiting. I hated waiting, loathed it, despised it and with a burning passion (reminiscent of the flames of youth) I abhorred waiting in hospitals. There was something about the air, interlaced with a mildly burning antiseptic, the walls, stark a bare and so in contrast with the patients. The thought of all the blood that the walls had seen and all the scrubbing that they would have endured to be so pristine, it makes me slightly nauseous.

So I sat, slowly turning green, for approximately 36 minutes (not like I was counting or anything) and waited, (im) patiently for any sign of our red eyed friend. Somewhere in the back of my mind I vaguely registered Hinata awkwardly looking about her in search of an end to the heavy silence. At any other time I would have saved her the trouble but I was far too consumed in my own thoughts to think of something to say.

* * *

><p>Hinata POV<p>

Once sensei finally found her way back to the room we swiftly made our escape. We had little trouble finding Kazakage tower but the actual getting there presented somewhat of a challenge.

By the third dead end I was becoming seriously pissed. The borrowed clothing had long since attached itself rather closely to my heated skin and the constant sight of the tower was maddeningly clear. The imposing building tauntingly stood just ahead, but for the sake of grace and manners we were confined to the dusty streets to walk in circles. Damn the hokage and her no rooftop rule! (the totally ridiculous idea Madame slug had that it was bad form to walk over the heads of suna citizens, something about mistakenly being judged for looking down upon them, starting a war etc. etc.) all it would really take would be two quick jumps and...

Midway through her train of thought I forgot to mind my path, I tripped over the rough uneven ground. Almost in slow motion I fell, I could see the ground rushing towards me and braced for impact.

In contrast to the heavy thud I was expecting a soft hissing met my ears. Slowly I cracked an eye open... And would've jumped backwards if I wasn't so awkwardly tipped forwards. It was as if I was falling and all of a sudden I simply, stopped. The faint hissing seemed to change in pace suddenly and I found myself once again acquainted with the vertical world. The moment I was released by the strange force I whipped my head around to find the source, somewhere in the background I could hear faintly stifled giggles from my elder companions but I paid them no mind; there was a strange phenomena to contend with after all.

A soft thud momentarily drew my focus from my search. One look and everything clicked, I then commenced my routine tomato impression. My cheeks were set alight in a blaze that could rival the hot desert sun.

_"k..k..Kazakage sama!"_

Hinata sincerely hoped the deep bow would be seen as respectful and not (as it was in fact) a tool to hide the inferno on her cheeks.

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><p><strong>Sorry, yeah, I have no idea where this is going. I've lost direction slightly and part of me wants to scrap the last two chapters. I don't know. Feedback would be good, ideasrequests/suggestions would be awesome. Writers block sucks.**


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